Biographies

Deborah Beck, M.S.W.
Drug and Alcohol Consultant

Deborah Beck brings over 30 years of clinical, policy and legislative experience
working in the alcohol and drug treatment and prevention field to her positions as a drug
and alcohol consultant and President of the Drug and Alcohol Service Providers
Organization of Pennsylvania (DASPOP). She also serves as Policy Co-Chair of the
State Association of Addiction Services, a national organization composed of state
associations like DASPOP, is co-founder and Board Member of the National Alliance for
Model State Drug Laws and a Board Member of the Pennsylvania Recovery
Organizations Alliance (PRO-A).

In the early 80's, Beck began to do public policy advocacy and approached
treatment programs across the state to catalyze the formation of the DASPOP, a
statewide advocacy organization. Now, on behalf of this organization and others, she
researches, develops and initiates policy activities on a wide array of alcohol and drug
related issues. Beck also works with public policy and legislative leaders, grassroots
and consumer groups to develop and organize statewide and national public policy and
legislative strategies.

Her work has led to the enactment of numerous laws regarding alcohol and other
drug abuse and addiction prevention and treatment including: a law requiring coverage
of addiction treatment in all group health and insurance plans, a law requiring provision
of K-12th grade alcohol and drug prevention/education in the schools, a law establishing
residential rehabilitation centers for the treatment of pregnant addicted women and
women with dependent children and a law requiring state Medicaid to cover treatment of
addiction in residential rehabilitation programs. Beck's work has earned her awards
from various local and statewide organizations.

From March 1992 to October 1993, Beck served as the treatment consultant to
the President's Commission on Model State Drug Laws. During this period, Beck
assisted the Commissioners in the development of the Commission's Model Treatment
legislation and was the primary drafter of these Model Laws. Beck is a member of the
Board and Executive Committee of the Commission's successor organization, the
National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws.

Beck conducts numerous workshops and diagnostic seminars throughout
Pennsylvania and other states and has taught a graduate course on substance abuse
and addiction at Temple University. She provides training, technical assistance,
management and counseling services to numerous national and state alcohol and other
drug abuse associations, women's organizations, colleges and universities.

Beck holds a Master's degree in Social Work from Temple University and a
Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology/Religion from Earlham College in Indiana.